Articles

Tim May and Steve Smith had met while teaching at Camp Bluegrass in 2012; a friendship was sparked that would ignite an enduring musical journey. Five albums and a slew of shows across the country have ensued in the following years, leading up to their latest duo album Hillsboro Bay Incident.  Like their predecessors such…

Jim Hurst would be the first to tell you his soon-to-be-released Travels & Time isn’t a pure bluegrass recording. The 13-cut disc that comes out in March features a colorful palette of country, jazz, blues, and bluegrass, taking listeners on a captivating emotional journey. That, of course, is reflective of Hurst’s musical travels. His resume…

John Reischman and the Jaybirds somehow make old-time music sound fresh and new again and again. On this latest album, the band blends old-time, bluegrass, folk, and gospel sounds in a comforting tapestry. They evoke a melancholic nostalgia in a song like “The Old Churchyard” while never becoming overly sentimental. The title track is an…

Q: I love seeing the old black & white archival photos of bluegrass from the days of old. In the early 1980s, while living in Los Angeles, I met and befriended Marshall Freedland, and we shared our love of bluegrass music and artists. He told me he had a wealth of photos that he took,…

The Knackered Ramblers is a duo of well-known artists, Laura Boosinger (banjo) and Mike Compton (mandolin). Boosinger is based in Asheville, North Carolina, while Compton lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Both are long-time veterans of traditional music styles that include bluegrass, old-time, string band, and gospel. Boosinger’s clawhammer style of banjo has been heard…

By Nancy and Dick Kimmel Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine May 1983, Volume 17, Number 11 1982 was a pivotal year for Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys. It was the first year this band was able to do extensive touring outside of their immediate home area. Personal contact through touring has always…